The Night Before Christmas
by The Lucky Kind
Summary: She's the modern day Jack Frost. He's Santa Claus on a sugar high. Nothing about the two could possibly work but still he takes it upon himself to change her mind about Christmas. He's persistant and she's stubborn but Christmas is known for it's miracles. Three-shot
1. Shopping At Christmas Time

**Christmas Three Shot! I know I'm kinda late for the whole Christmas thing but I was forced into an evening of fake smiles and family members that treat me like I'm five. Trust me, I would much rather be writing for you than listening to my aunt talk about how pretty I'll look when I hit puberty. I'm fourteen. My self-esteem gets lower every year.**

**I hope you had an amazing holiday and a very happy new year! This is my late Christmas present to you because you guys are so flawless and perfect. Happy holidays!**

**xoxo :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin and Ally. All credits go to Disney.**

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I shoved my way past a hoard of angry shoppers as I reached the double door entrance of the Sonic Boom. I groaned running a hand through my tousled hair that was still wet from this morning's shower. I pulled a set of keys from my purse and I instantly felt the heap of people push against me. I gasped, barely able to hold onto the keys as I felt an elbow nail me in my side. A sharp heel of someone's boot slammed against my foot and I yelped in pain. I whipped around shouting some not so lady-like words at the crowd before turning back to the door. I placed the key in the lock and opened the door in one swift motion. As soon as the door opened the shoppers pushed and elbowed their way past me rushing into the store like a stampede of bulls. I shrieked, jumping quickly to the side in an attempt to not get flattened like a pancake. I fell to the ground as the stampede attacked the display of instuments. By the time I gathered myself and stood steadily on both feet there was already a line at the register stretching out the door of the store. I sighed in exasperation and forced a merry smile on my face as I dragged my slumping body to the counter.

Don't you just love the holidays?

I sighed as I rubbed my temples glaring up at the hundredth customer in front of me. In these past hours I've had to deal with a various amount of customers that always had a problem they needed help with. I've already dealt with twenty different crabby old ladies looking for an instrument that was appropriate for their twenty nine grandchildren, and numerous adults that couldn't tell the difference between a cello and a guitar. What kind of person waits until Christmas eve to do shopping anyways?!

"I told you-" I muttered bitterly at the man in front of me,"-the guitar picks are free, you do not need to pay for them!"

"Okay," the man said nodding his head in understanding although I knew he really didn't. "So what would the total be again?"

I threw my head back and groaned before slamming my head against the counter multiple times. Eventually I just left my head resting on the cool surface as I sighed in aggravation.

"Sir, the guitar picks are free. So why don't you gather up your twenty picks, which I still don't understand why you need so many of them, and get your ass off the line!" a young male voice shouted clearly just as frustrated as I was. I heard the scattering of the plastic guitar picks being swept from the table and low angry grumbling of the man in front of me.

I lifted my head up with a small smile on my face prepared to thank my savior. I looked up at the man in front of me stumbling backwards slightly at how close he had become. His hands were pressed against the counter and he was leaning over it as he eyed me. I blinked at his alarming attractive appearance and tried very hard to keep my eyes on his face instead of his biceps that showed even through his flannel button up. His disheveled blonde hair hung slightly in his big glossy brown eyes. I coughed looking around the counter for my water bottle to quench my strangely dry throat. "Thanks for-"

"So here's the deal?" he said leaning over the counter even more. I raised my eyebrows at him, somewhat angry for being interrupted and also extremely flustered at his close proximity.

"The deal?" I repeated.

"I don't usually do any last minute shopping but this time it wasn't my fault. See my girlfriend, Cassidy, was supposed to be on vacation with her family in Vermont for the holidays. So I figured since I won't see her for the Christmas I can buy her gift later on when the mall isn't a rampaging mess of people. Then her dad fell of the roof as he was hanging Christmas lights, don't worry he's fine just a few broken bones," he added on when he noticed my horrified expression. "So now she can't go to Vermont and she's deciding to spend her Christmas here with me. That would be awesome, if I hadn't already told her that I bought her a gift so that leads me to where I am. I really need your help to get my girlfriend a last minute gift except it can't seem like I bought it last minute," he finished with a large much needed gulp of air.

I blinked at him rapidly trying to decide whether I should call the cops on this babbling boy in front of me. "Um...I'm not sure how to reply to that?" I said extremely perplexed as to why this stranger would suddenly tell me his life story.

"I really need your help and I know you're busy but I'm desperate," he pleaded putting his hands together as he begged.

"W-What am I supposed to help you with?" I stammered looking at the ruggedly handsome boy with crazy eyes.

"You're a girl right? You know what instruments girls like!" he exclaimed triumphantly as if he had just cured cancer.

"That's really offensive," I mumbled still not being able to understand when I got put in this position.

"Look-" he broke off to duck his head and look at my name tag. He smirked as he read, "-Ally, I really need your help and I really don't know who to ask."

I looked up at his large doe eyes that were filled with hope. I sighed feeling myself waver from his intense pleading look alone. "But-I just..." I groaned coming to the conclusion that I was going to succumb to his gaze anyways. "Fine," I muttered through gritted teeth. His entire face lit up from the grin stretching across it. He let out a relieved breath and gave me a truly genuine smile. I unconsciously smile back before holding up a finger telling him to wait and turning around.

I looked down at the sleeping latino on the floor behind the counter. I rolled my eyes as I gently poked her with my ankle boot. She shifted in her sleep but doesn't wake up. I sighed jabbing her side a couple more times until I resort to full-on kicking her. When she still doesn't wake, I groaned kneeling down and ripping the blanket off her body.

"I wasn't sleeping, I was checking the inventory!" she blurted finally jolting awake. She looked around frantically, her wild black hair flinging all over the place, until her eyes landed on me. "Oh it's just you," she said suddenly realizing where she was.

"Trish can you handle the line for me while I go help I customer?" I asked.

"Ally," she whined. "You told me to come here to keep you company not work!"

I rolled my eyes at her. "Yes, because you were doing such a good job at keeping me company," I deadpanned.

"I'm not working," she said pulling herself up to her feet.

"Come on Trish! I have to help-" I paused knitting my eyebrows together. I turn to face the boy still leaning against the counter watching us in amusement. "What's your name again?" I asked.

"Austin," he supplied.

"Thank you," I said to him before turning back to Trish. "I have to help Austin pick an instrument," I told her.

She looked confused for a second but a suggestive smirk makes its way onto her face. "Oh I see," she smirked motioning between us with her finger. "You go _help _Austin," she said putting air quotes around the word help. I stared at her as if she had gone crazy until it clicks.

"No! No!" I denied shaking my head quickly.

"No, I get it," she said with a sly smirk. "He's cute," she whispered as she walks by me to the counter. She sends me a not so subtle wink making my face heat up even more than it was.

"Trish! It's really not-" I try to deny but I'm cut off by Trish again.

"Ally what are you still doing here when you can be with your _lover_!" she shouted so the whole mall can hear. I groan my face turning as red as Santa's suit as I repeatedly slam my head against the counter. After the first few slams my head stops hitting the hard table and instead I feel something soft and smooth against my skin. I pause wondering when the table started smelling so good. I looked up to find Austin grinning delicately at me. His palm is on the spot of the counter where my head was hitting.

"Are you okay?" he cautiously laughs not sure whether to be funny or worried.

"I'm fine," I frowned in confusion still looking at his hand. "What were you doing?"

He shrugged pulling his hand back to his side. "I didn't want you to ruin such a pretty face with a gigantic purple bruise."

I looked down at my boots desperately trying to hide the mass of pink seeping it's way onto my face. I ignored Trish's implying smirks from the corner of my eye and motioned for Austin to follow me to the displays. "I'm sorry about Trish," I mumbled as we walked over to the instruments.

He laughed and I instantly smile at the warm sound. "It's okay," he shrugged again.

"It's just Trish is..." I sighed not knowing how to finish the sentence.

"Special?" he offered.

I smiled nodding my head in agreement. "Yeah. She's definitely special," I grinned.

"Yeah, I have a friend that's _special_ too. They would actually make a pretty good couple," Austin chuckled.

"Okay. So your girlfriend-" I cringed as the word leaves my mouth. "-do you even know if she likes music?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. She said she was a band once back in high school."

"You know most guys would go to a clothing store to get a girl a gift," I said shaking my head solemnly at him.

"I was going to but then I passed the music store and I really love music so..." he trailed off his voice becoming a whisper.

"...so you used buying your girlfriend a gift as an excuse to poke around instruments," I finished for him. He sheepishly nodded his head and I resist the urge to giggle at how adorable he looks when he's embarrassed.

"Do you think I should've gone to a clothing store?" he asked panicking slightly.

"No!" I shook my head. "Never buy clothes for your girlfriend. If you even get one size too big, she'll think you're calling her fat. If you buy one size too small, she'll think that you're trying to change her and make her be skinnier. Either way, you lose."

"See! I knew there was a reason to come to you for help!" he beamed at me. "What about jewelry?"

"I guess that's okay, but you would have to know her taste perfectly. How long were you guys together?"

"Um," he scratched his chin as he thinks. "We've been together since we were seventeen so...five years."

"Well you don't even know her well enough to decide whether or not she likes music, so I doubt you could pick out jewelry," I muttered still loud enough for him to hear.

"Hey! I know my girlfriend!" he defended.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Really? What instrument did she play in her band?" I asked.

His smug smile faltered as he heard my question. "Wha-you're the employee! Shoudn't you be telling me what she likes?" he stammered as he desperately tried to recover.

I raised my eyebrows at him, heedlessly letting a smile slip onto my face. "What about a guitar?" I asked picking one up from it's stand. "Does she play?"

"I'm not sure," he said scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Do you know anything about your girlfriend?" I sighed putting a hand on my hip.

"She likes the color purple," he shyly grinned.

"I have a purple steel-string acoustic guitar. I don't have a purple classical acoustic, but I personally pefer the steel-string because it-"

"-has a more mettalic sound," Austin finished for me reaching out and grabbing the guitar in his hands. He propped his leg up on the bench and strummed the guitar. He closed his eyes and played a melody that wasn't familiar.

I smiled at his serene expression. "I didn't know you spoke music," I said smiling at him. He grinned snapping out of the trance he was in.

"Why would you? We just met," he teased handing the guitar back to me.

I smirked fully prepared to defend myself with a witty comeback when a loud crash from the opposite side of the store disrupted us. We both whipped our heads to find the entire display of violins knocked onto the ground. A little boy stood nearby with a red violin in his hands. He smiled awkwardly at all the attention he had caused before dropping the instrument and running out of the store. I groaned as I stomped over to the display. I got down on my hands and knees as I began the grueling task of putting every violin neatly in its place. I reached for a violin only to find a calloused hand gripping it already. I looked up, my eyes trailing up the arm, until I reached the face. Austin was bent over on his knees carefully gathering the instruments in his hands.

I smiled at the gesture before returning to my side of littered violins. "I hate Christmas," I muttered under my breath as I examined a violin for any scratches.

"What?!" Austin shouted from beside me. I dropped the violin and flinched at the noise it made when it came in contact with the floor.

"Austin! You made me drop the violin," I yelled delicately picking it up and checking for bruises.

"Did you just say you hate Christmas?" he whispered as if that was the worse crime ever committed.

I sighed, standing up and dusting myself off. I placed the violins on the side, reminding myself to have the display case fixed later. "Can you pass me those violins?" I asked to a gaping Austin.

He stood up and placed the violins next to mine. "How could anyone possibly hate Christmas?" he asked incredulously with that bewildered look in his eyes.

"You don't understand," I groaned. "You don't have to deal with annoying customers every year, or listen to the same old boring Christmas songs that replay over and over. I mean, I understand that it's Christmas but I really don't need to listen to Santa Baby play on the radio for twenty four hours straight! You don't have to go to a relative's house that you only see once a year and put on a fake smile while they pinch your cheeks and complain about you being twenty two and still single. It's infuriating."

"I guess that does explain the complete lack of decorations in here. But it's still Christmas! It's a happy holiday," he whined sounding very much like a five year old.

"The only reason you say that is because you have nothing to worry about. I bet that you never have to cook or clean or deal with old ladies that find the bassoon a _hip_ instrument. The only reason you like Christmas so much is because you still think like a kid," I argued.

"Is that a bad thing? There is nothing bad about Christmas! It's the best holiday in the world," he grinned.

I rolled my eyes walking back over to the guitars with him tagging behind me. "There are plenty of bad things about Christmas. It's a brainwash holiday. The companies trick poor suckers like you into buying gifts for people. Did you know that Christmas is the most money-making holdiay of the year? Christmas is just something buisnessmen invented to cash in more money than they already do," I bit back. I held up the purple guitar silently asking him if he wanted it. He gave me a small nod before following me to the check out counter.

"Oh I get it," Austin said the look of pure horror turning into one of understanding. "You just don't understand the true meaning of Christmas."

I scoffed, "I just told you the true meaning. The only meaning for Christmas is to make money."

"Wow," Austin whistled. "That is just sad. So young and so screwed up." Austin heavily sighed putting a hand on my shoulder pityingly.

"Excuse me?" I said while picking up his hand inbetween my fingers and plopping it on the counter. "How am I screwed up?"

"You don't believe in the true meaning of Christmas," he sighed looking down on me in that sympathetic way again.

"There's nothing to believe in," I muttered picking up a case from under the counter and gently placing the guitar inside. I picked up the lid and placed it over the case making sure to buckle in the latches while doing so.

"There's plenty to believe in, and I'll show you," I smirked. I tore my eyes away from the case to look at him. My eyebrows raised at his eager expression.

"You'll what?"

"I'll make you believe in Christmas again!" he beamed slapping his credit card on the counter fervently.

"No," I answered without missing a beat. I picked up his credit card and swiped it through the machine before handing it back to him. I was careful to elude his obnoxiously convincing eyes as I did so.

"Come on, please," he begged leaning over the counter to get closer to me. Has this boy ever heard of personal space?

I backed away still trying hard to not glance at his eyes that I'm sure resemble a puppy at this point. "I barely know you," I fought back.

"My name is Austin. I like pancakes and I'm fun," he shrugged. "What more do you need to know?"

I rolled my eyes and looked around the room, surprised to find it completely empty. I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. It was way past closing time. I smirked as I shoved the guitar into Austin's unexpecting arms and pulled him by his shirt to the door. "As much as I would love sitting here all day talking about Christmas with you, we are closed," I smiled pushing him out the door and closing it quickly.

"But Ally-" he shouted from outside.

"Sorry I can't hear you!" I shouted prancing back over to the counter. He frowned at me before sluggishly walking away. I sighed, an overwhelming feeling of guilt washing over me. I place my head in my hands and let out a very loud audilble groan.

"Ally?"

I turned around facing my dad who stood at the top of the stairs.

"Is everyone gone?" he asked looking around the empty store.

"Yeah, it's safe to come out now," I chuckled.

"Oh thank god," he breathed bounding down the stairs with his suitcase in tow. He stopping infront of me and gave me a small smile. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me to Aunt kate's?"

I scoffed, "Trust me dad. I'm positive."

"Who are you going to spend it with? No family, no friends, no boyfriend," he muttered the last part quietly.

"Dad! I told you that I'm fine being single," I groaned returning my face to it's previous position in my hands.

"I know you are," he said although we both knew he wasn't. "But you're twenty two years old, Ally. You're not getting any younger."

"Gee thanks dad," I deadpanned.

"Whatever happened to that nice Ethan boy I set you up with?" my dad asked suddenly hopeful again.

"Dad! There was a reason mom was the one who had to ask you out, you absolutely suck at romance," I grumbled recalling the hideous nights spent with that obsessive, abominable boy.

"Ethan was a very nice man," my dad defended himself proudly.

"Oh yeah, he was real nice. I'll make sure to remember that the next time I have to call the cops from Ethan breaking into my house and taking pictures of me while I'm asleep!" I sneered sarcastically.

"He was just trying to be memorable."

"I caught him sniffing my panties and stealing my jewelry," I said with a blank expression on my face.

"Ally, what did I tell you about leaving your jewelry where people could easily find them?" he reprimanded.

"Seriously! That's the part you decide to focus on!" I yelled throwing my hands in the air in annoyance.

"He couldn't have been that bad could he?"

"He was mentally unstable! The only reason I got out of that toxic relationship was because I told him I was moving to Yemen!" I shouted frantically wishing my dad to understand.

"You told him you moved? Oh that explains why he thought you were out of town at last years Christmas party," he mumbled.

"You talked to him?" I asked fearfully. My dad gave me a pained look and reluctantly nodded his head. "Oh god, dad, please tell me you didn't," I breathed paling quickly at the apologetic look he gave me.

"Ally Wally!" a painfully familiar voice shouted from behind me.

"Oh god," I moaned my face turning a ghastly shade of white. Two arms grabbed my shoulders, spinning me around and pulling me into an extremely awkward hug. My arms were frozen at my sides and my eyes were wide open. "Ethan," I said not even trying to sound enthusiastic. I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him away from me forcefully. He stumbled backwards but the creepy smile stayed plastered on his face.

"Ally! You still smell so good," he sighed with a sleazy lick of his lips. I winced reminding myself to take at least ten showers when I get home tonight. "Why didn't you tell me you were back in Miami?" he asked although it was easy to tell his mind was elsewhere. He never looked me in the eye, instead he chose to eye my entire body hungrily making me feel like a piece of meat.

"I-I-Uh" I stuttered taking the time to glare at my dad who had mysteriously gone quiet during this horrendous exchange. I looked at Ethan with his dark greasy hair and facial expressions that seemed much to forced. I moaned mentally deciding how much a one-way ticket to Yemen would actually cost. There are many things a sane person would do in a situation like this. They would turn the guy down, they would make up a fake boyfriend, or they would find a bunch of ways to be unappealing to that man.

I, on the other hand, am not a sane person. So I did the first thing that came to mind.

I ran.

I sprinted down the corridor praying that I could somehow make it to my car in these ankle boots. I wailed once I heard the heavy footsteps behind me and my name being called out numerous times. My shrieks of terror filled the empty mall as I made a beeline for the parking lot. I pushed the doors open and ran out into the crisp Miami air. I ran over to my car hearing his footsteps in the distance as I stopped in front of the door. I cursed suddenly realizing that I had forgotten my purse in the store. I placed my head on the roof of my car as I began to write my will in my mind. Ethan is going to kill me and keep my body in a cooler so he could look at it everyday. I whimpered mentally writing my father out of my will. My thoughts were disrupted as I heard the screeching of car tires. I looked up to find Austin sitting in his car smirking at me through amused eyes.

"Need a getaway?" he asked thoroughly entertained at my displeasure.

"Yes!" I shouted too elated to glare at him for his amusement. I reached my hand to the door when it suddenly locked. "Austin!" I whined looking over the roof of the car to see Ethan running across the parking lot towards me.

"I will only let you in this car if you agree to let me make you believe in Christmas," he grinned.

"What? Austin! No, let me in," I shouted pulling uselessly at the handle.

"Not until you agree," he bargained.

"Ally-bear! Where are you going?" Ethan shouted his boice coming closer.

"Tick tock, tick tock," Austin hummed from the car.

I groaned releasing a storm of curse words in my mind at what I was about to get into. I sighed venomously glaring at Austin. "Fine! Just open the door!" I screeched.

He grinned eagerly unlocking the door and allowing me to get it. "Welcome to the best day of your life_ Ally-bear,_" he mocked.

"Drive," I spat viciously as I glared at him daring him to argue with me.

He laughed pulling away from the deranged Ethan an onto the road. I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw Ethan's figure getting smaller in the distance. I looked over at Austin who was smiling widely as he stared at the road. I squeezed my eyes shut mentally and physically preparing myself for what I was about to get into. I opened my eyes and looked over at Austin once again. He had his eyes fixed on the road and he was humming a song quietly under his breath. His eyes twinkled with mischief but at the same time I saw a glimmer of hope and playfulness floating around in there. I grin played at his lips as he gently hummed a unrecognizable tune.

I turned my head to face the window as I tried to hide my own smile that unintentionally made it's way onto my lips.


	2. Convincing The Scrooge

**Thanks for all the wonderfull feedback for the first chapter. I'm glad you guys favorited and followed because I didn't get a lot a reviews. :( I hope you like the second part.**

**xoxo**

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I huffed at his arrogant expression after losing a long and tired arguement. His gaze was fixed on the road but a small smirk played on his lips. I could almost hear his laughter ringing in my ears.

"You're really not telling me where we're going?" I asked my voice covered in indifference.

"Nope," he smirked, haughtily popping the p. I pouted, crossing my arms over my chest and turning my gaze to the window. I watched the blur of trees passing by in distorted images as I pretended to be angry at the annoyingly sharp blonde boy in the drivers seat. Although, attempting to be angry with him was like getting my dad to actually pay me, useless and infuriating. I felt his gaze on the back of my head and I smirked at his inability to handle an upset female. "Come on, don't be mad," he said with a twinge of sadness nearly making me give in. "Ally?" he asked as I felt him move one hand from the steering wheel to rest on my arm. I involuntarily glanced down at his large hand firmly grasping my arm. I turned around to face him, looking into the puppy-like eyes, letting my crossed arms fall limp on my lap.

"Why won't you tell me?" I frowned.

"I don't want to jinx it," he said, taking his eyes off the road for a brief moment to look over at me. He gave me a warm smile before turning back to face the highway.

"You're so lucky I left all my money, my phone, and basically everything I own back at the store. I have no where to go, so I guess you're stuck with me," I sighed, watching his hand that was previously on my arm move to rest on my knee. I gaped up at him, but he barely acknowledged the complete inappropriate invasion of personal space. I looked down at the arm like it was a parasite. This was way inappropriate because one of us was currently in a five year relationship, and yet I couldn't find the heart to remove the warm hand from my knee. A small smile graced his lips and I heard him chuckle at the painful truth that I had no other choice but to follow him on this insanely impractical journey.

"We're here," he said pulling into a lot in front of a large gray building. I looked out the window at the filled parking lot and my brows pulled together in confusion. I turned to look at him with a confused expression on my face. He only wiggled his eyebrows in reply before he popped open the door and stepped out of the car. I quickly followed in pursuit, stepping out of the car as well. The air hit my face and I thanked god that winter in Miami was still relativily warm.

"Austin? Where is here, exactly?" I asked as I looked around at the surroundings. When I heard no answer, I turned to face the spot where Austin should have stood but instead I found him walking up to the big building. I squealed in surprise before running after him, quickly catching up to him. I huffed angrily as I caught up with him. He walked with his hand pushed into his pockets and a mischievous smile on his face. A smile that I so badly wanted to slap off. We entered the building and Austin strolled right across the lobby and through the empty halls. I looked around at the blank walls and barely decorative furniture, my confusion only growing.

"Austin?" I asked, following behind him. He smiled down at me as he wandered through the halls. He had definitely been here before. He walked around the building with a obvious familiarity. We reached a door and he grabbed the doorknob before turning to me with a devilish smile on his face.

He pushed open the door and led me through by placing a hand on the small of my back. I stepped into the cool air and realized we were outside again. I walked further out into the gated lot with my mouth ajar. My eyes scanned the area and my jaw dropped even lower to the ground. The entire lot was filled with Christmas trees. It covered every inch and corner of the gated area. Christmas lights were hung around the fenced property, making the entire scene feel festive. I grimaced at the lights. In my opinion it made everything feel like a scene from a really cheesy Christmas movie. There were also a lot more people out here than the completely vacent building inside. Children ran around the trees like it was a maze, and I saw parents roll their eyes at the actions but beneath those annoyment filled eyes, stood an unmistakable fond smile.

"Welcome to your first Christmas lesson," Austin said from beside me.

"Seriously?" I said incredulously. "You're taking me tree shopping? Isn't that a bit too cliche, even for you?"

He threw his head back in a loud laugh at my question. I frowned, crossing my arms over my chest, not understanding when something funny happened. "I'm not taking you tree shopping?" he said inbetween chuckles.

"Then what are we doing here?" I frowned, motioning to the large clearing completely decorated with Christmas trees.

"We are here to help," he said as he tossed me a pair of gloves perfectly fit for moving trees.

"Help?" I questioned, slipping on the gloves slowly. He gave me an affirmative nod before motioning me to follow him. I sighed, reminding myself that I had no way to leave, before following him down an aisle of evergreen trees. When I found Austin again after getting lost in the towering trees, he was talking to a young couple.

"You pay at the desk over there." I heard Austin say as I walked up behind him. The couple left and Austin turned around, stumbling backwards when he saw me. "Geez Ally!" he cried, holding a hand to his chest in an unecessary dramatic fashion.

I rolled my eyes. "What are we doing?"

"I told you. We're helping. Now help me lift up this tree and carry it to the customer's car," he said leaning down to grab the trunk of the tree.

"Um, Austin?" I said, making him look up at me. "I don't know if you noticed, but I have the upper body strength of a jellyfish." I lifted up my arms to emphasize my nonexistent muscles.

"Come on. Just grab the light part," he chuckled, pointing to the tip of the tree.

"I'm pretty sure the tree weighs more than I do," I deadpanned, motioning to my extremely petite frame.

"Ally, The tree is barely twenty pounds. I think you'll survive."

I sighed, reaching to grab the top of the tree. Austin gently lifted the tree off the ground and I heaved it the tip on my shoulder as I grasped the middle. He brown eyes peered over the tree, silently me asking me if I was good. After adjusting the tree on my body, I gave him a nod and we slowly began walking to where the car was waiting for us. I let Austin lead the way as I concentrated on the tree that began to get heavier with every step I took. The branches poked my cheeks and I already knew that some of it would be stuck in my hair.

"Right over here," Austin instructed, lifting the tree over his head to the roof of the car. I huffed as I gathered one big burst of energy to heave the tree up over my head. "See that wasn't so bad," Austin smirked. I panted, resting my hands on my knees as I caught my breath.

I glared up at him. "I. Hate. You." I muttered inbetween deep breaths. He laughed grabbing a bundle of rope and tossing it towards my unexpecting arms. "Oof," I huffed as I caught the bundle in the last minute, stumbling backwards.

"Woah. Are you okay?" he laughed at my lack of grace in that moment.

"I am a weak individual, Austin." I glared at his laughing expression, roughly shoving the rope in his face. He shook his head, still in a fit of giggles, as he strapped the tree into place with the rope. He tugged on his knot one last time to make sure it was tight. I watched as he carefully inspected the sides of the tree by walking around the car multiple times.

I sighed as the heavy wind blew past me, making me shiver. I looked around, just noticing the orange colored sky that was getting darker with each passing minute. I ran my hands over the goosebumps forming on my arms. I looked down at my attire, skinny jeans and a red tight t-shirt paired with brown boots, cursing the fact that I left my sweater at the store. I reached up and pulled the rubberband loose, letting my hair that was previously in a bun fall over my shoulders. At least my neck was slightly warmer. The Christmas lights that were on before significantly doubled to adjust with the shift from day to night. Another heavy wind carried through the area and I shivered. I noticed Austin's flannel shirt tossed over a stand that sold Christmas ornaments. I stared at it, mentally debating whether it would be crossing any boundries if I wore it. I shook my head, coming to a decision. Just as I decided to deal with the frigid cold, another burst of wind pushed past me. I sighed, throwing my hands in the air, letting out an aggravated growl.

Fine mother nature, you win this time.

"Hey Austin?" I called as I saw his shadow peeking out from behind the car.

"Yeah?"

"I'm a little cold. Don't take this the wrong way, but can I please borrow your sweater?" I asked, wincing at how inappropriate and needy I sounded.

His hand lifted it up in the air and it became the only body part of him I could see from behind the car. "Yeah whatever," he waved his had in a dismissing sort of manner. I grinned, not caring how distracted he sounded, reaching hastily for the warm cover up. I grabbed it, putting my arms through the sleeves, and wrapping it around my body. The sleeves hung off my hands and the end of the shirt almost reached my knees. I sighed contently at the warmth before taking a deep breath. My eyes widened at the strangely intoxicating aroma that filled my nostrils. I looked up to see if Austin was still on the other side of the car. After making sure he was, I lifted up the collar to my nose and took a deep breath.

Holy mother of pickles! Does he buy his cologne from a Greek god?

Austin came out from behind the car, not taking a glance towards me. He observed the tree, tugging at the ropes and fixing some knots. "Okay. I think this one is go-" he stopped midsentence as he turned around to finally look at me. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before they returned back to normal. His mouth opened and closed like a very awkward fish, before snapping shut. He crossed and uncrossed his arms many times and leaned against the car, looking at me with curious eyes. There was another emotion in his eyes, something that I couldn't name, an emotion that I've never seen directed at me before.

"What?" I self-consciously asked, reaching a hand up to my hair to get rid of the branches which I knew were there. I frantically ran my hands through my hair as Austin continued to watch me, that unknown emotion growing as every second passed, a darkness covering his pupils. "What?" I asked again with a more demanding tone.

He shook his head as if he was just coming out of a trance. "Nothing," he mumbled huskily before clearing his throat and repeating that same word in a more normal tone. He dropped his crossed arms and removed his body from the side of the car. I furrowed my brows in confusion as I watched him walk away, scratching the back of his neck and fixing his jeans. I noticed the slight change in the way he walked. His steps were slower and more careful. It was like he was being restricted somehow. My expression became even more perplexed as I watch him discreetly loosen the belt on his jeans. I shook my head, convincing myself it was nothing, before following him to help another customer.

We spent the rest of the evening lifting trees and strapping it onto cars. I swear I lost at least twenty pounds from this workout. I actually had a lot more fun than expected. Austin and I turned the whole thing into a game to see who could sell the most trees. It was a battle I easily lost considering Austin's amazing people skills. He still wouldn't tell me how this was supposed to teach me the true meaning of Christmas, despite my countless hours of pestering and pleading. The sun had officially set and the sky turned completely dark. The twinkling lights still made everything seem like a moment from a cheesy movie, but as the day progressed, I found myself caring less and less.

Austin declared one more sale before ending the night. I eagerly smiled, skipping over to a tree and firmly grasping the tip. Austin chucked the bottom of the tree over his shoulder as I did the same to my part. We walked towards the car at an even pace, careful not to trip the other by going to fast or too slow.

"I do this every year," Austin said from behind me. We reached the car and hoisted the tree to the roof.

I frowned at his sudden confession. "Why?"

"Ready to learn why I brought you here?" he asked, handing me one end of the rope.

"I've been ready for hours," I said with a roll of my eyes.

"It's for the kids," he plainly side as he walked over to the other side of the car, unraveling the rope as he did so.

"Excuse me?" I frowned, tying a knot to my side.

"This place is owned by a married couple. They live in that gray building. Along with their thirty seven foster children," Austin said, his eyes briefly flashing in sadness. I didn't say anything, knowing that he wasn't done talking yet. "They do this every year," Austin continued. "Niether of them have a steady job, so this is how the afford to take care of so many. These kids are so amazing. They are so passionate and well-raised. This place is like their playground, and even though they know that they're not all related, or that they won't be getting Christmas presents, they still have a genuine smile on their face." His eyes became radiant as he spoke about the children. His face glowed with happiness and a bright smile graced his face.

It suddenly clicked as to why I saw so many children running around the place, but no one that came to buy trees ever had a child with them. I smiled fondly at two little boys chasing each other in circles around a tree. One fell to the ground and a quivering frown appeared on his face. The other boy stopped running and sat on the ground next to him. He didn't care that his clothes got covered in dirt, all that mattered was the other boy was happy now and the frown was long gone. I smiled at the boys before turning back to Austin. He looked at me from over the hood of the car and a light smile was on his face. My face flushed from his intense gaze and I returned my focus to tightening a knot.

"These kids-" Austin said. "-don't care about all the stuff. Christmas isn't about the gifts or the money. It isn't even about Santa Claus or anything like that. Christmas to them is just having fun with the people closest to them. They don't need to material things, all they really need is each other."

I smiled as I watched the children. Their faces were bright and they didn't have a single care in the world. I turned back to Austin with a widening smile. "Okay, I'm convinced," I chuckled. "Christmas isn't all about the gifts or money."

Austin grinned, pumping his fists in victory. I laughed, tossing the end of the rope in his direction. "Okay fine. You were right. Don't rub it in," I warned with a playful edge. "How did you find this place anyway?"

"I grew up in a family like this," he shrugged.

I dropped the rope, covering my mouth with my hand, letting out a strangled gasp. "Oh my god. Were you-"

"No!" he chuckled, hurriedly shaking his head. "My parents fostered a couple of kids growing up. After they had me, they weren't able to conceive any more, so they decided to become foster parents. It was so cool! I had like ten different brothers and sisters! My parents met this family when I was sixteen. I've been coming here for Christmas eve every year since."

I grinned as I watched him. He looked over at the kids, a dazey smile on his face. I saw how he looked at them with complete adoration, like nothing else in the world could compare to those kids. "So do you ever get Christmas presents?" I asked almost reluctant to pull him out of his dream state.

He smiled, pointing a finger over my shoulder. "You see that right there?" he asked, motioning with his index finger. I turned around, following the direction of his finger. A young boy and a girl stood there, each with their own Christmas ornament in their hands. The boy balanced his ornament on his head, showing off his ability by spinning aroun in circles, and the girl grinned letting out a tinkering giggle. Her laugh instantaneously brought a smile to my face. I watched their carefree expressions along with most of the other shoppers in the area. I turned around, looking back at Austin. "That right there-" he said, pointing with his calloused finger to the smile on my face, "-is my Christmas present."

I ducked my head to the ground, trying to hide my inflamed cheeks which were probably matching Santa's suit. I coughed, looking back up to pull on the rope making sure it was tight enough. "I-I t-think this one is good," I stammered, dusting the branches off the tree as a desperate attempt to keep myself busy.

He chuckled. "Yup. Thanks for shopping guys," he said to the man and women who stepped into their car and drove off. I watched them drive away with their large Christmas tree tied tightly onto the roof. I smiled, already imagining all the possibilities that could be done with that large tree. Austin and I stepped foward towards each other now that the car that was previously between us was gone.

"So, what have we learned today Miss-" he paused, silently asking me to fill in the blank.

"Dawson," I supplied with a playful smile on my face.

"Right! The lovely and amiable Miss Dawson," he flirtatiously grinned.

I rolled my eyes, hoping to distract him from my flushed cheeks. "Well Mister-"

"Moon," he grinned, eagerly giving me the information.

"Well, Mister Moon. This evening has not only been educational, it has also been highly enjoyable. While I have learned many things today, the most important one would be, Christmas isn't about the money or even the enchanting tale of Santa Claus. It is about spending your time with the people you love and bringing smiles to peoples faces," I grinned, pleased with my answer.

I looked up at Austin after a few seconds of silence. I raised my eyebrow at his lack of witty combacks and snide remarks. My confusion grew as he looked at me with those eyes again. Those dark, troublesome eyes that almost appeared sinful. I studied his eyes, the dark shadows swirling around in the pools of chocolate. I felt his hot ragged breath on my face, and only now did I realize the reduced distance between us. My eyes grew curious, not startled or worried, just curious. I looked into his eyes, trying to decipher his actions, but he was no longer looking in my eyes, but at my lips.

"You forgot something," he breathed, looking down at me though half-lidded eyes.

I cocked my head to the side, my eyebrows indenting further in confusion. "I did?"

"Christmas is also about miracles, taking chances, new beginnings, and-" he paused, throwing a glance above our heads, "-mistletoe."

My eyes widened as I looked above our heads. There, just as he said, hung a good amount of the green plant on a strip of Christmas lights. I looked back at him, my eyes still wide, and he was looking intently at me with an evasive smile on his lips. I realized, with how close we stood, I could smell it again. The smell of a Greek god. The smell of Austin. The intoxicating and highly arousing aroma.

"Austin," I whispered. I observed his actions, the deep breaths and dark eyes, and I wanted so badly to fall right into it. I wanted to grab him and for once in my life, listen to my instincts. But my brain and my logic decided to be extra annoying today. So as much as I tried to fight it, as much I tried to push away the over-analytical thoughts and listen to my heart, I just couldn't. I couldn't forget about the real world as much as I wanted to. So I gave into the logical Ally and pushed away all the incoming regret.

"Cassidy," I said in a low voice. And as that single word left my mouth, it was like a switch was flipped. The darkness in his eyes was gone and his breath became steady. He looked around as if suddenly realizing what he was doing. He hastily stepped backwards, clearing his throat and scratching the back of his neck. I averted my eyes to the ground, peeling off his shirt, letting my skin hit the cool air.

"Thanks for letting me borrow it," I whispered, reaching out to hand him the shirt without meeting his gaze. "I had fun tonight but I really should be heading home. Thank you for the evening." I muttered every word politely but they sounded more mechanical than sincere.

I felt him take the shirt from my grasp. "Ally-" he began, sounding a little apologetic.

"Please just take me home," I said before walking towards the parking lot. I walked with my hands wrapped around myself in stiff straight lines. Everyone of my movements felt automated and fake. I heard his feet shuffling behind me and we walked to the car in silence with him trailing slightly behind.

I squeezed my eyes shut, mentally cursing the orderly and analytical part of me, because I have never hated that reasonable part of me more than I did in that moment.

* * *

**Is this good enough for a review? Maybe a favorite? :)**


	3. Christmas Morning

**The final part! I really hope you like this short story because I wasn't to sure about it. The ending to this gave me a really hard time but I think that I put some remotely readable and hopefully enjoyable up for you guys. Thanks for reading! Please review.**

**I do not own Austin & Ally.**

* * *

"I don't get it," Dez said after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"It was awful," I groaned, my head resting on his kitchen table.

"It couldn't have been that bad...right?" he timidly chuckled, looking at me with careful and unsure eyes.

I looked up, resting my chin on the tabletop, shooting him a flat unamused glare. "She gave me a boner," I deadpanned, my voice sounding monotonous.

Dez's face remained stoic as he looked at me through expressionless eyes. A beat passed before a large grin spread across his face, his cackling loud laugh filling the empty apartment. "How?" he wheezed between a rampage of giggles erupting from his throat. "W-What happened?" he managed to force out, his face nearly turning red from the laughter.

I groaned, throwing my hands in the air, slamming my head on the table with a loud audible thud. "Nothing happened. She did absolutely nothing," I moaned, my voice muffled by the counter.

"Then how did that happen?" he asked, his laughter slowly beginning to die down.

"I don't know," I sighed. "I was just insepecting the tree and suddenly she was wearing my shirt and things started to become...tight. I had no more control over myself and I-I...had to loosen my belt." I winced at how painfully pathetic I sounded.

"Austin," Dez said, sounding suddenly serious. "This was only supposed to be a one-time thing."

"I know that! I told myself that I wasn't going to commit myself to Cassidy until I found some way to get this crush out of my system. I just thought spending one night with her, would make me forget about her," I sighed, running a sweaty hand through my hair.

"Austin. You've been obsessed with the-girl-at-the-music-store since we were in middle school. You've spent ten years walking past the doors of Sonic Boom hoping to catch a glimpse of her. I don't think whatever you were feeling is going to go away just because you spent one night with her." Dez had never been this sincere beore. That was how I knew things had officially gotten serious.

"I had to do something! I needed to end whatever this was!" I shouted, standing up from my seat, pacing around Dez's abnormally small kitchen.

"But you didn't end it, did you? This strange infatuation you have with this girl obviously didn't go away," he firmly stated.

"I know. I just thought...I just thought I could get her out of my system. I thought I could prove to myself that I felt nothing if I got to know her." I walked in frustrated circles around the kitchen table. I could feel dez's eyes following me. They were probably furrowed together, wondering why I was acting so psychotic.

"And now that you've gotten to know her-" he paused, shooting me a inquisitive, yet slightly nervous look "-what do you think?"

I sighed, stopping my pacing to stand in front of Dez. I pressed my palms against the table and hung my head lowly over it. "I-I...I don't know what to think," I exhaled deeply. I shook my head as if that would get rid of these thoughts. Thoughts that a man in a committed relationship should not be having about another girl.

"Austin," he said so firmly that I lifted my head to meet his gaze. "Yesterday you were talking about proposing to Cassidy. You asked me to go ring shopping with you! And now, you're questioning your entire relationship all because of this one girl." Dez stated the information harshly, desperately trying to force the words into my head, trying to make me see how important this situation was. But I didn't need to be reminded. A silence passed where the only noise was my feet scuffling against the carpet floor. Dez chuckled, causing me to momentarily stop my pacing to look up at him. "I just don't understand how you fell in love with a girl you've never had one full conversation with until yesterday," he laughed.

"Woah!" I exclaimed, fervently shaking my head and waving my arms in a flailing motion. "Who said anything about falling in love?" I blurted.

Dez shot me a incredulous look with his eyebrows rasied. "You're kidding me right?" he asked with a slight disbelieving chuckle. At my obvious confusion, he shook his head and continued speaking. "Austin you are an absolute idiot. And that's coming from me!"

"Thanks Dez," I deadpanned, giving him an unimpressed glare.

He rolled his eyes, still giving me that incredulous glare. "Austin, the first time you saw Ally was when we were twelve and ever since then, she's all you could talk about. You've sorta become a stalker to this girl. She has the ability to change your mood in a second and she doesn't even know it. Do you remember that time you saw how upset she was when her mom left the store?"

I nodded my head, recalling that day I walked past the Sonic Boom, hoping to see her cheerful face but instead I saw her staring longingly at a picture of her mother with the most depressed look on her face. She looked so broken and fragile, it took everything I had not to run up to her and comfort her.

"That whole day-" Dez continued, "-you were so depressed. You didn't even eat your pancakes because Ally was able to change your attitude completely. Whenever she's sad, so are you. She means so much to you and you don't even see it! Cassidy walks around her house half-naked with a thin towel wrapped around her and you don't even flinch. But all Ally did was put on your shirt and you got...excited."

"That doesn't prove anything." I winced at how unsure my own voice seemed.

"Do you remember that one time you saw that Ally lost her pet bird?" Dez asked. At my slight nod he continued speaking. "You spent that entire day walking around the mall looking for it. You were throwing popcorn in the air and calling his name over and over again. You never even took a break! You said you weren't going to stop until you found the bird. And even when you found the bird, you wouldn't give it to her personally. You had to sneak it through the window of the store."

I grinned as I remembered how excited she looked when she walked into the practice room and saw Owen. The look on her face, the bright beaming smile, made everything worth it. I remembered spending the rest of the day watching her from the window. She played music and danced around the room like a maniac. Her arms were flailing and she was spinning around in crazy circles, but she still looked beautiful.

"You've been with Cassidy for five years and I've never seen you do something like that for her. I'm not saying you don't treat Cassidy well, because you do. Everyone can see you love Cassidy so much. You treat her like a princess, but you treat Ally like a goddess."

I groaned as I resumed my pacing. You know you're screwed when Dez starts making sense.

"What do you think I should do?" I asked. At this point I was willing to take any advice I was offered, even though Dez had never been in a serious relationship.

"I think you should pick Ally," Dez said without missing a beat.

My jaw dropped in surprise. I wasn't surprised by his answer. I was surprised that he answered the question so quickly, considering Dez had known Cassidy since we were in high school and he has never had one full conversation with Ally. "How can you says that? You don't even know her," I asked, my eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

Dez only shrugged in a way that made our conversation seem like we were discussing the weather instead of probably the most important decision of my life. "Maybe not, but I do know that if you truly loved Cassidy, you wouldn't have fallen for Ally."

* * *

I sighed, my fists clenching around the steering wheel as Dez's words played through my head. Had I really fallen for Ally?

I glanced in the rearview mirror, looking at the guitar case in the backseat. The guitar that I was supposed to give Cassidy in ten minutes. The same guitar that I had used as an excuse to talk to the girl I had been obsessing over for ten years. The purple acoustic that I had somehow convinced myself Cassidy would love.

I pulled into the parking lot of a small diner Cassidy used to work at when we were younger. The small diner where Cassidy and I first met. I chuckled as I thought of how I had actually followed Ally in here and accidently bumped into Cassidy. I took one more glance behind me at the guitar resting safely in the backseat. I saw Cassidy sitting by the window of the diner. Her hands are wrapped around a mug as she bit her lip impatiently waiting my arrival. I sighed, climbing out of the car and grabbing the guitar from the backseat, before heading towards the diner.

I pullled open the door, hearing the jingle of the bell above the door, and walking over to the booth where Cassidy sat. She looked up at me, a large smile on her face. She stood up giving me a quick peck on the lips before settling back into her previous position.

"Hey Blondie," she greeted. I smiled at the nickname, secretly searching for the same spark I got when I stood under the mistletoe with Ally.

My search came up empty.

"Hey Cassidy. Merry Christmas," I grinned. She smiled, eyeing the guitar case from the corner of her eye.

"What's that?" she asked with a sly smirk. I chuckled, lifting up the case and laid it flat on the table.

"Merry Christmas," I said again as I watched her eagerly pop open the lid and pull out the guitar.

"Austin!" she gasped, in that dramatic way only she could, placing the guitar in her lap. "How did you remember that I used to play guitar?"

I nonchalantly shrugged, a grin taking over my face as I thought of Ally. I thought of her accusing tone when she convinced me to purchase the guitar. I wondered what she was doing right now. I wondered if she thought about me too. If she was just as hungover about that night like I was. If she even cared that I might have fallen in love with her. I wondered if she had fallen for me too.

"Austin!" Cassidy's voice dragged me back down to reality. A reality I didn't want to come back to. A reality without Ally.

"Huh?" I asked, looking around at our surroundings, trying to remember where I was physically at.

"The waitress has been asking for your order for five minutes," Cassidy said slowly as if she was talking to a young child. I looked to my left, where a waitress stood, tapping the pencil against the notepad in pure boredom.

"Oh sorry," I mumbled shyly.

She rolled her eyes at me. "May I take your order?" she said mechanically in a dull monotonous tone. She placed her hand on her hip and my mind immediately flashed back to Ally. The way she managed to be so demanding and captivating all at once. I groaned, reluctantly pulling myself from Allyland.

"Um, I'll just take a water," I sighed, folding up the menu and placing it to the side. With another exaggerated roll of the eyes, she walked away, mumbling offensive things under her breath.

"Austin, are you okay?" Cassidy asked.

"I'm fine," I lied, looking up at her, still searching for the spark I thought we had. I didn't find anything, not even a butterfly.

She nodded and resumed reading her menu because she believed me. She believed me when I said I was fine. She didn't push or prod at me in an annoying but adorable way. She didn't poke at me until I was forced to talk about my feelings and I told myself I was happy. I told myself that I should be lucky to have a girl who never argues back or makes me be emotional. I should be lucky to have someone who accepts the answers I give and never makes me have a deep conversation.

I should be happy.

I reached over the table, placing my hand over hers, desperately forcing the tingles to come. I wanted to feel magic. I wanted to feel fireworks and that warm tingly feeling I had just by being around Ally. I wanted something, anything to show me that Cassidy was right for me. But I didn't feel anything. All I felt was okay. I felt boring and bland. It felt like that moment when you begin waiting for the bus or train to come. You're not happy and you're not angry. You're just waiting. Waiting for something to happen. Waiting for a feeling to overcome you. The worst part isn't realizing that I don't feel anything.

The worst part is realizing that I've _never_ felt anything.

I've had this same feeling for five years. The feeling of emptiness. It wasn't bad but it wasn't good. It was just lifeless and plain. It was that same feeling of waiting. Waiting for that one feeling I so desperately craved. I've been waiting for five years. I've been waiting and I somehoe convinced myself that it would come. That the spark would come. But of course I never did.

I looked up at Cassidy and her confused features. Her eyebrows were knitted together, silently wondering why I had been staring blankly at her hand for three minutes.

"I can't do this," I said, finally saying what I needed to say. She looked at me, her eyebrows still furrowed together in confustion. I sighed, giving her a pained look and her eyes instantaneously widened. She gave me that same dramatic gasp as a hand flew to cover her mouth. Her eyes are glistening with tears and I watched her, hoping that some sort of sadness and doubt would wash over me. Of course, nothing comes.

"I'm sorry." And with that, I confirmed what we both knew was falling apart anyway.

I let go of her hand, retracting it and putting back in my lap. I sunk into my seat, trying to get as far away from Cassidy as I could. I needed to let go of everything. I needed to let go of Cassidy, the girl I was so sure a few days ago was the one. I needed to let go of the last five years and that insane hope that I would feel something. I needed to let go of any future I had with her.

Because a person can only wait so long before they finally decide to give up.

* * *

I've always been good with words. It came second nature to me; very much like singing and dancing. But right now the only things that are floating through my mind are clumsy sentences and bad pick-up lines. I fidgeted nervously as I moved from shoving my hands in my pockets to crossing them over my chest. I wiped my sweaty hands against my jeans and hoped that I didn't look too nervous.

The drive to her house was long. Not really because of the distance but because I had no choice but to really go over the haunting thoughts in my head. I left Cassidy sitting in the booth at the diner. I wish I had a better reason for ending things. I wish I could explain why I ended things out of the blue. But how do you explain something you don't even know yourself?

I tried playing music, but somehow every arrangement of lyrics I heard were freaking me out even more. I didn't know where I was driving. I thought I was driving to my apartment, but then I saw the familiar sidewalks and trees, passing by the window. A neighborhood I had been to way moer often than I should have.

So now I'm standing on her front porch, clutching a bundle of grass tied together with a rubberband in my hands. A part of me wished that she wouldn't be home so I had time to stall. Another part of me needed to see her face so I could do what I've been wanting to do for ten years. The hand that held the bushel of grass was clenched in a tight fist with my knuckles turning a ghastly shade of white. I sighed, lifting my hand to knock against the door before I had time to second guess myself. I told myself that I still had time. I could run away right now and she would never know I was here but my feet stayed rooted to its place.

The door flew open and there she stood with her hair tied in a messy ponytail and an oversized sweatshirt hanging off her thin frame. She cocked her head at me, her large doe eyes filled with curiosity.

"Austin?" she asked, her mouth hanging slight agape. "What are you doing here? How do you know where I live?"

"Um," I uneasily chuckled, running a sweaty hand through my tousled hair. "I lied yesterday."

"About what?" she asked, her eyes growing more puzzled.

"I didn't come into the store because I was looking for a gift for Cassidy. That was part of the reason, but the main reason was because I wanted to talk to you."

She opened her mouth to say something but I quickly interrupted her with another flurry of words.

"I know I probably sound crazy but just hear me out. I have been obsessed with the cute brunette who worked at the music store since I was twelve. I just never got the courage to talk to her, so I basically stalked her. I walked past the store everyday, all throughout high school. I looked foward to see her face everyday and I had no idea why. Everyday I would tell myself to talk to her, to make a move, but I always chickened out. Then I went off to college and I honestly thought my stupid obsession was over. But then I saw you last week when I came back for Christmas break. I felt like I was sixteen again and you were still that same beautiful girl at the music store."

She blinked at me and a silence took over us as the words from my rant sunk into her head. "We...we just met yesterday," she said slowly, probably still registering the rambled mess of words I just blurted out.

"I know," I sheepishly said. "But I've known you for ten years."

"You don't know me," she said firmly, taking a step backwards into her house.

"I know you so much better than you know."

"No you don't," she denied, turning around and walking back into her house.

"When you were thirteen, your mom bought you a songbook," I called after her, watching as she stopped in her tracks. "I rememeber the look on your face when you pulled it out of the bag. I was standing in the back of the store, by the guitars, watching your face light up. You hugged it to your chest and from that day on, I've never ever seen you without it."

I saw her head tilt lightly to the side and I knew she was listening. I took a cautious step into the house before taking a deep breath.

"When you were fifteen, you're mom went to Africa. It was the longest she would ever be gone. The store was closed that day but the light in the practice room was still on. I climbed up a tree and I stayed there the entire night, watching you cry. I didn't know anyone could possibly have that many tears. I watched you try to numb the pain with icecream but when the icecream ran out, the pain crept back to the surface. I watched you scream at your dad when he tried to come in the room. When he left, you collapsed on the floor, crying until you were completely hollow on the inside. It tortured me that I wasn't able to do anything. You cried yourself to sleep at three in the morning. I didn't leave until six in the morning. I wanted to be there just in case. Even though I probably wouldn't talk to you, I just wanted to prove to you that you'll never be alone. Not really."

Ally's head moved to face the ground and I knew she was biting her lip, trying to muffle the sob. Her mom was still a weak spot, a wound that still hasn't completely healed. I took two more steps into the house, softly closing the door behind me.

"When you were seventeen, you had your first heartbreak because you made him a priority when you were only his option. I watched again from the window as you went through tubs of icecream. You cried into the pillows and ignored all the phone calls from your friends trying to comfort you. I watched you cry and scream until your throat was sore. I cheered you on as you cut all the pictures of you two together. I never liked that guy anyway. Everyone knows all guys named after a city in Texas are awful...unless it's the capital. All capitals are awesome."

Ally's shoulders shook as she tried to contain her small chuckles. I smiled, satisfied that I got a good reaction out of her. I walked until I was standing directly behind her, close enough to smell the perfume she wore this morning.

"The next day, you saw Dallas at the food court. You wondered why he had a black eye and a cut across his lip but even a good girl like you couldn't contain the victorious smile on your face. The first real smile I saw since you began dating that idiot. Dallas never really did say who beat the hell out of him. I mean, why would he? He got a black eye and the awesome person who beat him only walked away with slightly bruised knuckles."

She whirled around, looking at me with widened eyes.

I shrugged. "I was just glad that this time, I was able to do something." I reached my hand out to her, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, keeping my hand there much longer than necessary. "I will never hurt you the way he did."

"What about Cassidy?" she whispered in a voice so delicate it nearly tore me apart.

"Cassidy is great, but you already took my heart long before she came around."

"I barely know you. How are you so sure this is going to work?"

"Well I've realized that love comes with taking chances. You need to take a leap of faith and things may not always end well. Many times things don't end well but sometimes they do. Sometimes the ending is perfect and magical. Sometimes it works and sometimes we get it right. And when that happens, nothing else in the world matters. Not the misshaps and problems that happen along the way. I don't know if this will work. All I know is I'm not waiting ten years to finally take a chance again."

She looked up at me, her eyes still projecting that distant look. I held my breath as I waited for some sort of reaction. She looked down and I could almost hear my heart deteriorating into small pieces. It felt like someone was tearing me apart from the inside. Tearing away the hope I had been carrying with me since I first saw Ally. The hope that someday I would be hers and she would be mine.

"What's that in your hand?"

I looked up quickly at Ally. She had a small smile on her face and she was pointing at the bundle of grass I still had gripped in my hand. I let out a timid laugh as I turned the blades of grass over in my hands.

"It is surprisingly hard to find mistletoe on Christmas. Every store I went to was sold out, so I had to improvise," I uneasily chuckled, suddenly realizing how stupid of an idea this was.

"Mistletoe?" Ally asked with a curious smile.

"Yup. After all you still owe me a kiss from last night. You did break one of the most important Christmas traditions by not kissing me under the mistletoe," I said slyly, adding a wink at the end.

She laughed, grabbing the grass from my hands and tossing it into a nearby trash can. A look of hurt took over my features as I looked at longingly at the trash can. That is until Ally grabbed my by the neck, pulling her up to my eye level.

"You don't need an excuse to kiss me anymore Austin," she smirked, pressing her lips against mine.

I took a step backwards, catching my balance, before eagerly wrapping both arms around her waist. Her lips moved against mine and in that moment I was sure. I was sure that this relationship would be complicated and I would have a lot of explaining to do. I was sure that nothing I ever felt in my life could compare to this. I was sure that this was going to be a risk and a soft landing will not be guaranteed.

But I was also absolutely positive that Ally was worth the risk.

* * *

**I am done. I am tired. I am not so sure about the way it ended. But I am also sure that after ninty tries, this is the best one. I hope you enjoyed this three-shot and let me know if you want me to keep doing more.**

**Thanks so much!**

**xoxo :)**


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